Flour-sifter



UNITED STATES PATENT Orme.

E. L. PRATT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLOUR-SIFTER.

SpecificationA forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,160, datedSeptember 26, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EL. PRATT, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improved Method of Holding andManipulating FlourSieves; and I do hereby declare that the followingdescription, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany andform part of this specification, is a full, clear, and definitedescription of myinvention, sufficient to enable those skilled in theart to use or practice it.

This invention relates to the construction of stands for the betterholding and working ordinary flour-sieves, whereby much more rapid andsatisfactory results are obtained than by ordinary methods. The commonsieve is too well known to need a description.

My improvement consists in so constructing a stand for ordinary sievesthat it can be used for the double purpose of sustaining` and manipulatin g the same.

Figure l of the drawings represents the top view of my improved sieveholder and operator; Fig. 2, a section ofthe same.

Letter A denotes the clamp for the purpose ofconveniently attaching thestand to a shelfor table; B, the upright swinging support resting onclamp A; B', the horizontal portion of the upright support B; O, thecrank and upright shaft passing through and turning in the horizontalportion of B; D, a bar pivoted to the lower portion of upright shaft O;E E, two fingers pivoted to each end of bar D; F F, two hooks suspendedin the horizontal portion of B', for hooking on or attaching theordinary sieve G, as shown in the drawings.

My invention consists in attaching to a shelf or table a suitable deviceor clamp, A, provided with a socket or bore to hold and sustain theupright portion of B, said clamp A to be fastened by a set-screw or somesuitable device for such purpose into the socket or bore of clamp A. Theupright B is inserted and left free to turn or swivel, so as to stand ormove in any desired direction. Through the horizontal portion of B acrankshaft, O, is inserted, to the lower end of which the horizontal barD is pivoted. To theouter end of bar D are pivoted two ngers, E E, soarranged and constructed that their points or ends are easily movedinward or outward, so as to readily adapt themselves to sieves of morethan one size and to all the variations from a true circle in the samesieve. Through the horizontal portion of B are made two slots toaccommodate and hold two wire hooks, F F. These slots are made muchlonger than would be necessary for one size sieve, for the purpose ofmoving the hooks F F nearer together for a small sieve, or farther apartfor a large one, thus making one sievesupporter adapted to sieves ofmany different sizes. ThetingersEEbeinginusealwaysforced against thehook of the sieve G, are also by their inward and outward motionadjustable to sieves of as many different sizes as the wire hooks F F.

Having described the parts or pieces ot' my improved sieve-supporter andthe partial purpose or use of each, I will now state my method ofWorking or manipulating the same.

Having by means of set-screw in clamp A attached my sieve-supporter to ashelfor table, I then hang a common or ordinary sieve on the wire hooksF F, and fasten it in position by means of the nuts ou the screw portionof the wire hooks F F. The sieve may then be iilled with tlour or anyarticle to be sifted, when a few turns of the crank-shaft O, will befound sufcient to pass the same through the sieve.

Among the many advantages of myimproved sieve-holder and manipulator maybe mentioned the ease or readiness with which it can be attached to atable or shelf and held in any position desired. Having a swinging orrevolving motion, it can be used directly over the table to which it isattached. A pan can be readily set under to receive the article sifted,

or it may be readily swung from over the shelf or table and made todeliver the article sifted into a barrel or bucket standing on the iiooror other support.

In ordinary sieves there is always when in use an unpleasant exposure ofthe handto the meal or our, rendering such labor disagreeable,especially in cold weather. All this is avoided in my improved method.

Attention is called to the adaptation of my improved sieve-supporter andmanipulator to sieves of different sizes, and to the pivotedor rockermotion of the bar D, which is so pivoted to the lower end of shaft( Cthat it can rock in either direction. This not only produces or insuresa uniform bearing on each side of the sieve, but allows an adjustment toin equalities of the same. The rotary motion of the crank-shaft C andbar D attached to the same causes the article to be sifted to moverapidly toward the circumference of the sieve. Here it would mostly pileup and remain to such au extent as to reduce this method of sifting tolittle value were it not for my improved lingers E E, which as rapidlyreturn the iiour or article sifted again toward the ceuter, giving it arapid movement over the sieve.

It will be seen that the ends or points of the lingers E E easily andreadily move inward or outward, and thus readily adapt themselves tosieves of different size or to the irregular shape of sieve-hoops.

Witnesses WM. W. ABBOTT, CHAs. SMEAD.

